late 14c., "on fire," from a "on" (see a- (1)) + blaze (n.).

"ritual washing," late 14c., from Latin ablutionem (nominative ablutio) "a washing, cleansing," noun of action from past-participle stem of abluere "to wash off, wash away, cleanse by washing," from ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + luere "to wash" (from PIE root *leue- "to wash").

late 14c., "a negative assertion," c. 1500 as "self-denial, renunciation," from Latin abnegationem (nominative abnegatio) "refusal, denial," noun of action from past-participle stem of abnegare "to refuse, deny," from ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + negare "to deny" (from PIE root *ne- "not").

late 14c., "at the side of a ship;" mid-15c., "onto or on a ship," probably in most cases from the Old French phrase à bord (compare Old French aborder "to board (a ship)"), from à "on" + bord "board," from Frankish *bord or a similar Germanic source (see board (n.2)). The word for the "boarding" or sides of a vessel being extended to the ship itself. The usual Middle English expression was within borde. The call all aboard! as a warning to passengers (on ships or railway cars) is attested by 1829 (compare French aller à bord "go aboard").

late 14c., "born prematurely or dead," from Latin abortivus "prematurely born; pertaining to miscarriage; causing abortion," from abort-, past-participle stem of aboriri "disappear, miscarry, fail" (see abort). From 14c.-18c. stillborn children or domestic animals were said to be abortive. Transferred meaning "not brought to completion or successful issue" is from 1590s. Also see abortion. Related: Abortiveness.

"state of not being present," late 14c., from Old French absence "absence" (14c.), from Latin absentia, abstract noun from absentem (nominative absens), present participle of abesse "be away from, be absent," from ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + esse "to be" (from PIE root *es- "to be"). Absence makes the heart grow fonder is a line from the song "Isle of Beauty" by English poet and composer Thomas Haynes Bayly (1797-1839).

"not present, not in a certain place" (of persons), "non-existent" (of things), late 14c., from Old French absent, ausent "absent" and directly from Latin absentem (nominative absens), present participle of abesse "be away from, be absent," from assimilated form of ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + esse "to be" (from PIE root *es- "to be"). Related: Absently; absentness.

late 14c., "withdraw (oneself), go away, stay away," from Old French absenter "absent (oneself)," from Late Latin absentare "cause to be away," from Latin absentem (see absent (adj.)). Related: Absented; absenting.

late 14c., "unrestricted, free from limitation; complete, perfect, free from imperfection;" also "not relative to something else" (mid-15c.), from Latin absolutus, past participle of absolvere "to set free, acquit; complete, bring to an end; make separate," from ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + solvere "to loosen, untie, release, detach," from PIE *se-lu-, from reflexive pronoun *s(w)e- (see idiom) + root *leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart."

Sense evolution probably was from "detached, disengaged" to "perfect, pure." Meaning "despotic" (1610s) is from notion of "absolute in position;" absolute monarchy is recorded from 1735 (absolute king is recorded from 1610s). Grammatical sense is from late 14c.

Absolute magnitude (1902) is the brightness a star would have at a distance of 10 parsecs (or 32.6 light years); scientific absolute value is from 1907. As a noun in metaphysics, the absolute "that which is unconditional or free from restriction; the non-relative" is from 1809.

late 14c., "unconditionally, completely," from absolute (adj.) + -ly (2). From mid-15c. as "without reference to anything else, not relatively;" the meaning "to the utmost degree" emerged by mid-16c. As a colloquial emphatic, by 1867, American English.

"Cannot something be done in the matter?" I inquired.

"Nothing sir! nothing, absolutely," he said (his family and personal pride evidently rising as he spoke); .... [D.E. Smith, "Leaves from a Physician's Journal," New York: 1867]